Proposals for a flag of Quebec, 1903-1904

Indépendatistes du Québec

Proposal of 1903 - the Carillon-Sacré-Coeur

by Luc Baronian

In 1903, a study committee added a Sacred Heart to the precedent flag. This
new flag was known as the Carillon-Sacré-Coeur. Many, including the
creator of the original flag, disliked the religious element that had been
added.

So, both versions were used in nationalist events in Canada and the USA for
the first half of the 20th century.

On 11 November 1926, the government of Quebec recognized the Carillon-Sacré-Coeur
as the flag of the Société Saint Jean Baptiste.Luc-Vartan Baronian, 25 March 1997

In 1902 Abbé Elphège Filatrault hoisted over his presbytery in St.
Hyacinth a version of the Carillon flag--a flag of blue with white
fleur-de-lis placed in each corner pointing to the centre-- traversed by a
white cross. It was enthusiastically received and led to the formation of
committees to propose a nation flag for French-Canadians.

In 1903, the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus above two wreaths of maple
leaves in saltire, was placed in the centre of the white cross.

The Sacred Heart image derives from the devotions fo the heart of Jesus,
initiated by the French visionary nun, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. This
Catholic practice had increased considerably by the 200th anniversary of her
death in 1890. The new flag of the Canadians came to be called their national
flag and was raised in western Canada as well as in Québec.

In 1935, the journal ACTION NATIONALE argued for the suppression of the
religious emblem. The desire arose for a simple fleur-de-lis flag.

Efforts by Quebeckers (Québécois) in 1945 and 1946 to get the Canadian
government to adopt a distinctive national flag (un drapeau véritablement
canadien) for Canada were unsuccessful, so they lobbied their own government
to take action. In 1948, an official flag was proclaimed by Order-in-Council
of the Québec government. The flag, generally called the 'fleur-de-lis flag,;
bears a white cross on a sky blue field and with a white fleur-de-lis i each
corner modified so that each fleur-de-lis is placed in a vertical position.
The flag's official proportions are six by four. The arms of the cross are one
unit wide. In 1952, the Québec legislature approved the flag. The tone
of the blue has darkened over the years. Could this be a further attempt to
secularize the flag?

Whereas the older flags mentioned above were flown by French-Canadians
throughout Canada, Québec's flag is specific to Québec. Acadians and other
francophone groups in Canada have developed their own flags.